Soulborn: Phantom's Soul
by Higuchimon
Summary: Cassie knows she has a soulmate. But she doesn't know who or where or anything else. And then one day, as the counter edges towards zero...the Phantom Ranger arrives. [complete]
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Phantom's Soul  
 **Characters:** Cassie, Phantom Ranger|| **Romance:** Cassie x Phantom Ranger/Phantom Ranger x Cassie  
 **Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 600|| **Chapter Count:** 1/16 **Genres:** Romance, Drama|| **Rated:** G  
 **Challenges:** Diversity Writing, H21, K rated fic; Three-Sided Box, 16 chapters, 600 wpc; Ficletchap Competition; Chapter Set Boot Camp, #29, 16 chapters  
 **Notes:** Minor rewrite for the Phantom Ranger arc of Turbo and his episode in PriS, and sometime after that as well. AU wherein virtually everyone has a timer or marker of some kind denoting when they meet their soulmate. More information to come in the fic.  
 **Summary:** Cassie knows she has a soulmate. But she doesn't know who or where or anything else. And then one day, as the counter edges towards zero...the Phantom Ranger arrives.

* * *

Cassie's eyes flicked to the countdown on her arm. She didn't want to focus on that, but the way it cycled closer and closer to zero made it far more difficult than it should have been.

What made matters even more annoying was Divatox. None of the Rangers would have been surprised at that; Divatox existed to make their lives more complicated and challenging than they really needed to be.

But Divatox wanted to rob banks today – rob banks, instead of blowing something up or delivering a monster meant to defeat them somehow. Acquiring money wasn't exactly the usual thing.

 _I heard she was a pirate, though. Guess she had to go back to that sooner or later._

She forced her attention away from the countdown and back to the business at hand: looking for any evidence of who'd defeated Divatox's goons.

 _Someone_ was definitely putting a crimp in Divatox's current scheme and it wasn't one of them. Cassie wanted to find whoever it was and shake their hand. Anything that wrecked Divatox's plans this much absolutely counted on their team.

Unless they weren't somehow and just wanted to wreck Divatox for some strange reason of their own. Cassie wasn't going to rule that out entirely. Too many strange things occurred since she became a Power Ranger for her to do that.

Her attention dropped back for a moment to her arm. She couldn't see the counter, not since she was morphed, but she could feel an odd warmth rising from where the numbers counted down regardless.

She knew it would be today. The numbers told her so. She'd hoped it would be after this mission, but the closer the time came, the more she worried that she was wrong. And now she combined that with the worry about who it was.

The longer she looked, the warmer her arm became. Never enough to hurt, but a solid warning that the one with the other counter was around there somewhere and she should keep her eye out for whoever it was.

It wasn't one of the other Rangers. Justin wasn't old enough to have his timer start yet – if it ever did; if you met your soulmate when you were young enough, the timer never needed to start. Ashley's still had some months to go. T.J. and Carlos both had a few more years; everyone figured they would meet theirs in college or afterward. The timing worked; it would just depend on what they actually did.

Dimitria told them other races on other worlds had other ways to tell their soulmate. Inquirians like her had writing on their body somewhere – hers was over her heart. She'd never mentioned who hers was or what kind of a relationship it was, only that her people recognized theirs by the name, written on one's flesh as if by the hand of your soulmate theirself.

Or themselves; Dimitria said there were occasions when more than two people formed a bond. Cassie didn't quite know how to feel about that.

Something caught her eye. A reflection in the truck's mirror. Black armor, a black helmet as concealing as her own, and the warmth on her arm increased, flooding through her.

The helmet turned towards her, then vanished out of sight of the mirror. Cassie's heart beat faster. "Hello?"

With no answer forthcoming and after a few tentative steps, Cassie reached out, wondering if she'd encounter empty space or an actual body.

Then there it was. Little more than a flicker in the air, but _there_ , and underneath her uniform, the numbers at last hit zero.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** I dare you to guess who Ashley's soulmate is.


	2. Chapter 2

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 1,200|| **Chapter Count:** 2/16

* * *

 _She's the one._

His heart gave a funny little jerk, such as he'd never experienced before. Such as he'd thought he never would again.

After all the time, all the years since he'd left his planet, he'd never thought that even when he first met the person with the matching counter would he _feel_ like this again.

He turned away, tense in every muscle. He could hear her voice; she'd seen him. Humans had a countdown too, he thought. He was fairly certain he remembered reading that when he'd researched Earth before arriving.

So she would know too. Know that her counter ran out the same that his did, and by all rights he should demorph, and so should she, and they could at least talk to one another…

He kept on walking, giving her only the brief comment of being 'friends'. If she asked about the timers, about the warmth he knew she had to sense under her own uniform, as he did under his armor, then he heard nothing of it.

He had to keep an eye out for whatever else Divatox had planned for the day. He couldn't just talk to a human.

Not even when that human was a fellow Power Ranger.

Not even when that human was also his soulmate.

His arm warmed, though never to a burning temperature, only to begin to fade moments later, as he drew out of her range. When they came closer together again – and they would, he knew it – then it would warm again. Hot and cold, that was how it would be, until they touched one another, and the shimmering green numbers became whatever their marks would be.

He'd seen it before, between many of his own people, and others from other worlds. Different signs, different methods, but with the same goal in the end: finding those who were meant to be connected and weaving them together. From the time his first manifested until his world fell apart, he'd imagined that one day he would have that joyous moment. Sure, the thought it might be on a different planet with someone whose species hadn't made full interstellar contact yet hadn't crossed his mind, but… here they were.

And here he was, walking away from it.

Not forever. It wouldn't be forever. But he would have to tell her at some point that he just couldn't. That he needed to do too many things out in the universe. Divatox wasn't the only minion of evil out there. She was just one of the strongest, and what he brought with him might hold her off for a little while longer.

He hoped they wouldn't be needed. All he could do on that score _was_ hope, and watch, and judge it in the end. Zordon's advice had been very simple: only if you must. They're new but they're strong and clever. It might not be needed. But _watch_.

Watch. Not get involved more than he had to. Not pull her aside and tell her that he would love to get to know her better, that the cosmos itself dictated they should know one another better, that as dangerous as it was to be a Power Ranger, it would be far more so if Divatox or anyone else knew about the bond that intertwined them even now, and he couldn't do that to her.

If he told her, she'd say she didn't care. Part of him didn't either. He wanted to let her know, so the choice was hers to make.

And yet he couldn't bring himself to say a single word.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Cassie/Phantom is one of my oldest OTPs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 1,800|| **Chapter Count:** 3/16

* * *

An alien. Her soulmate was an alien.

Now that Cassie demorphed, she could see the numbers on her arm still, all of them in a rich shade of green, instead of the steady red they had been, and all of them cycled down to zero. The warmth had faded as the stranger moved out of sight, but she knew she'd always know when he was around, at least until – if – they made that all important first contact.

"Cassie?" Dimitria's voice called her from her thoughts. "Are you all right?"

Cassie flashed a quick smile, instinctively holding her arms together so that the numbers couldn't be seen. She knew it wouldn't last long; all of them knew her countdown hadn't had much time left on it. But she wanted some time to think this through.

"Yeah. It's nothing." She waved a hand carelessly. Everyone else seemed to accept that, though Dimitria kept on looking at her quietly. At least she didn't bring it up.

While Justin went off to do his thing – which they all guessed had to involve this strange Phantom Ranger – Cassie tried to figure out what she was going to do about this herself.

Ashley's fingers rested against her for a few heartbeats. "Want to talk about it?"

Cassie bit her lip before offering up another smile. There really wasn't any reason to keep it quiet, especially since they would all know sooner or later. At least the others weren't paying that much attention right now.

"It's him," she said simply, raising up her arm. "I saw him and it ended."

Ashley stared at her for a few moments before beaming a bright smile. "That's great! Have you talked to him yet?"

Cassie shook her head. "What would I even say?"

"Hi? My name's Cassie, what's yours? Want to go have a soda?" Ashley suggested, her grin somehow brightening. Cassie poked her.

"When you meet yours and you can't think straight, I'm going to remind you of that," Cassie promised her. It did sound easy: too easy. As if the Phantom Ranger would just suddenly appear before her, smile, and they could go on dates like any normal couple.

They might not even be _that_ kind of soulmate. They came in all types. Sometimes one's soulmate even changed, though Cassie wasn't sure of how common an event that was. What the timers did was point out someone so special to you in some fashion that you wouldn't ever want to miss them. What those people involved did and what kind of relationship the bonding might be was entirely up to them. She'd heard about all different kinds.

To make it worse, they were Power Rangers. They had to deal with Divatox. She wasn't the only evil being in existence, just the one currently attacking Earth. Rita and Zedd or the Machine Empire could conceivably drop by and make everything much more annoying, and those were just the ones that she knew.

"Dimitria," Cassie found herself asking, more than a little nervous. "Divatox...Rita and Zedd… all of them. Do they ever… _have_ they ever cared about anyone's counter?"

Dimitria didn't answer right away. When she did, it wasn't what Cassie expected. "In two cases, Rita's evil magic obscured the counter of two of the Rangers, rendering them useless for years. In no other case has a Ranger's counter, on Earth, run out during their time of service."

Until now, she didn't say. Didn't need to say.

Cassie nodded, tenser than she cared to admit.

She wanted to talk to Phantom. The sooner, the better. If only she knew _how_.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Guess who those two were?


	4. Chapter 4

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 2,400|| **Chapter Count:** 4/16

* * *

Finding a safe place to hide his ship took a little time, but it gave him something to do that wasn't thinking about the Pink Ranger that he'd met.

If one wanted to call it meeting. The counter did, of course, but they hadn't even exchanged names, let alone any other personal information.

Even without a proper name, just the thought of her sent a pleasant shiver through him. He wanted to find a way to introduce himself, preferably one that wouldn't lead to Divatox or any of their other enemies finding out about their mutual counters.

That still surprised him. He hadn't once imagined that the person he would be bound to would be someone like her. He'd long ago given up even imagining what such a person would be like. Even as the counter wound its way down to zero, he'd focused his attention more on trying to avenge the people of his planet than anything else. The counter at best meant he would find an ally at some point, because what else could he want for a soulmate than someone who would want the same thing that he did, the complete and utter defeat of Dark Spectre and all of his servants?

But so far as he knew, they knew only the barest bits of Dark Spectre here. Their mentor would likely know something of him – few who were chosen to guide a Power Ranger team in these days didn't – but if she'd chosen to inform them, he didn't know.

For the moment, it mattered little. He needed only to make himself comfortable and ensure that his craft wasn't visible. Then he could keep an eye on Divatox and her schemes, and that meant keeping an eye on the Rangers as well.

And not just that one. Even though he wanted to learn her name and everything about her as soon as he could. He wanted to tell her _his_ name and …

He'd never actually courted someone before. He didn't know what the customs were on Earth, though from the little pieces he'd picked up concerning such events on other worlds, it mostly tended to be the same. Those interested in courting would spend time around one another in pleasant surroundings, perhaps taking in local scenery or entertainments or meals. The finer details were where things differed. He did hope that he wouldn't have to combat any of her kinfolk for the right to court her. There were a few cultures where that was perfectly normal.

 _I'll observe what I can from here._ It would be better to find out before he made any actual attempts to do so. The last thing he wanted to do was offend her, either by asking about such a ritual or failing to ask about it.

But he could do that another time. Guarding against whatever Divatox had in mind for the next few months remained chief on his list.

Before showing up here he'd also picked up a few rumors to the effect of General Havoc coming this way. Divatox was more than bad enough on her own. If Havoc joined with her here, then it would be far more than twice the horror.

That was, however, one of the reasons he had the RescueZords with him. He'd come prepared for anything.

Almost anything.

If Divatox might possibly consider using the counter against them, Havoc definitely would. He enjoyed turning the bonds of others against them. If there was a single hint…

There wasn't and wouldn't be. Now if he could just convince Pink Ranger to agree to that.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** They will talk to each other. Eventually.


	5. Chapter 5

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 3,000|| **Chapter Count:** 5/16

* * *

 _I just wish I knew his name._

Cassie's own words echoed in her thoughts. She did want that. She wanted to see him, talk to him, to just have a chance to _be_ with him. She knew he was around somewhere. He watched them. He came when they needed help.

Or was he watching her? He'd shown himself, deep black armor and all, but had he been able to choose that? He usually could be seen only when he moved, or if he chose to be seen – she thought. It was hard deciding what the rules were here when he wouldn't tell them.

But she tried to figure it out, even when she had next to nothing to work with. Being a Power Ranger wasn't easy at all. Especially not when her countdown tied her to someone whose face she couldn't even see.

 _He'll show up. He has to._ She had to believe that, regardless of what his actions were. He was her soulmate. She hoped she was his.

Even if she couldn't be entirely certain of it. There were one-sided bonds and sometimes even more different ones, where one person was their soulmate's romantic destiny and on the other side of it, it was a true friendship.

What if he didn't want to talk to her because he didn't have a counter? Or at least not one that matched hers? What if he had a soulmate on some other world? Or not one at all?

Being soulmates of any kind didn't assure one of eternal happiness. Her parents were romantic soulmates and sometimes went for days or even weeks without seeing each other or talking to each other. Sure, her mom traveled a lot for her job, but it wasn't as if they couldn't have kept in touch.

Sometimes Cassie wondered if her parents had even found the note she'd left when she'd moved. Even more often she wondered if they'd noticed the letter she'd mailed them when she'd ended up in Angel Grove instead. She stayed with Ashley's family; any mail would come there, and yet she hadn't had any kind of reply.

Exactly what they would think of her new life as a Power Ranger and having a soulmate that came from the stars, Cassie couldn't even begin to grasp. They had barely known how to react when she started being a musician. In fact, they'd never known how to react to that.

Thinking about the Phantom Ranger was a lot more appealing than thinking about her parents. Cassie let out a small sigh. For all she knew, he could be within arm's reach of her and unless he wanted her to know about it, she wouldn't. Maybe the next time she saw him, she'd get to ask about his counter and what he knew about hers and if it even mattered to him.

Maybe she would even get an answer to the questions. He didn't seem all that inclined to talk. If she hadn't already heard a handful of words, she would have wondered if he could in the first place. But those few words remained seared in her soul, offering the tiniest droplets of hope that somehow they would find a way to talk to one another one day.

With a deep sigh she got up and brushed herself off. Wherever Phantom Ranger was, he wasn't there, and she had things to do.

But before going back inside, Cassie stared up at the stars, and wondered just one more time where he was and what he was doing, and why he'd come here at all.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** This chapter & the next take place after **Vanishing Act**.


	6. Chapter 6

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 3,600|| **Chapter Count:** 6/16

* * *

Helping the Rangers was his primary goal. He refused to let that out of his sight, no matter how tempting it was just to watch Pink Ranger. He tried to tell himself watching her meant keeping an eye on all of them. Most of the time, he did an extremely poor job of convincing himself. So he made certain to watch _all_ of the Rangers.

And if his gaze lingered a trifle on Pink Ranger, well...he did need to watch them all. She was one of them. That counted.

He still couldn't properly convince himself of it. But he knew that he tried. What else could he do _but_ try?

Helping the Rangers counter Divatox's schemes wasn't difficult. Divatox never seemed to figure out how to use the abilities of her henchmen or monsters in a way that would accomplish good results.

That wasn't something he planned to let her know about. The more ridiculous her plans and monsters, the better it would be for the Rangers, and for him. It gave them experience, so if someone more serious and capable came along, they would be better prepared to deal with it.

Such as Havoc. He hadn't forgotten the rumors that he heard, and he kept tabs on the galactic gossip. Divatox's brother would get there at some point.

And while he waited, he kept trying to pay both as much and as little attention to Pink Ranger as he could manage. He picked up things about her as he did. She knew some of the basics of fighting, but clearly most of her skills came from the Power itself. She wasn't native to this area, and didn't speak with her parents very often.

She had a magnificent singing voice. He'd learned that by accident, watching her one day. He didn't recognize her instrument – the ones from his world were different – but he could see her clever fingers moving over the strings, and it took all of his focus to remain hidden as she practiced.

Hearing her music made one thing very clear to him: even with all of the danger involved in associating with her, he couldn't do otherwise. They _needed_ to talk to each other.

Perhaps doing so before Havoc arrived, with whatever twisted foulness he had in mind in tow, would be better.

Which meant he would have to do so when no one else was around. That involved more watching her.

He couldn't say that displeased him. Nor did the thought of finally approaching her. He could learn more about her. He could share more about himself. v He could find out what _her_ name was.

Few preparations needed to be made for this. Only to search her out when she was alone and then approach. He made them as quietly as he could, his heart pounding harder underneath his armor.

There she sat, behind her home shared with Yellow Ranger and her family, eyes closed, humming to herself. He breathed in, steeled himself.

"Greetings, Pink Ranger."

Her head jerked up at once, eyes slashing from side to side, until he made himself visible, standing a short distance away from her. He didn't demorph, not just yet. He intended to. But first, he just wanted to talk.

She swallowed, staring at him. "Phantom Ranger? Is that you?"

Was that what they called him? A good enough name; similar to what he was called by others. He seldom actually gave them something to call him. But he seldom stayed in one place long enough to need a name regardless.

"Pink Ranger, I believe that it's time we talked."

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** I told you they would talk!


	7. Chapter 7

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 4,200|| **Chapter Count:** 7/16

* * *

Cassie stumbled to her feet, staring at the Phantom Ranger. She hadn't expected him. She hadn't expected anyone and seeing him there without any warning sent her head spinning in confusion. She rubbed her arm absently, only then realizing that the warmth rising came from her cycled down timer. She swallowed, staring at the armored form before her.

"Hello?" She offered, wondering why he'd turned up. A sudden flicker of warning crawled up her spine and she looked around, wondering if Piranatrons were going to sprout up. "Is everything all right?"

Phantom took a step closer. She couldn't see his eyes but she could feel the warmth of his regard nevertheless. "Yes. I came for other reasons."

Cassie tensed, fingers flexing, ten times as confused as she'd been a moment earlier. "Other reasons?" Her gaze dropped to her left arm, then back to him. She swallowed for a heartbeat. "Is it...did you have that...too?"

Her stomach leaped and whirled as he nodded. "My people also have such markings, to apprise someone when the time of encountering someone so important to their lives that they should not be unaware draws near."

It wasn't how she'd been taught, but she understood it anyway. Every instinct in her urged her to move forward, to reach for him, to touch bare skin she couldn't even see, and know what bond it was that wound them together. She managed to keep herself from doing so, though exactly how, Cassie had no idea.

"What do we do, then?" she asked, holding harder onto herself. More questions danced behind her lips and she wished she could pick one of them to ask. That one would have to do, for now at least.

Phantom didn't move. Her heart thudded harder in her chest as he spoke. "I would very much like to demorph and see what would happen should we touch."

"So would I," Cassie murmured. "I mean...I'm already demorphed, but..." She waved one hand, trying to convey what she meant, and from the way he tilted his head, she thought he understood. At least he didn't say that he didn't.

She tried to get her thoughts focused intelligently. "But from the way you said that, I don't think you're going to, are you?" She really hoped she didn't sound accusing, but she couldn't help but fear she did.

"As much as I would like to, I must not. Divatox's eyes are everywhere and I fear what she might attempt should she be aware of this."

Cassie's shoulders drooped at once. _I didn't think about that._ She'd hardly realized that she'd repeated the sentence out loud, until she saw Phantom Ranger nodding.

"So what do we do instead?"

Part of her wondered if he stayed morphed all the time; didn't he have to eat? To sleep? To stay like that without any breath of down time?

He couldn't, could he? But that just meant keeping his secret remained more important. He could blend in with the people of Angel Grove, or anywhere else he wanted, and Divatox would never be able to track him down and interrupt him. So he could sleep or eat or whatever he needed to do and do it safely.

Phantom didn't take his gaze off of her. She thought there was a hint of approval in it, one that warmed her from the inside out.

"We wait until there is no threat that can use this against us. It may take a long time. But the day will come, I'm certain of it."

Cassie wanted to believe him. But when _would_ it come?

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Might not take as long as you think...or you might not have to wait that long at all. Also, I finished the story. Updates will come once a day now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 4,800|| **Chapter Count:** 8/16

* * *

Phantom Ranger nodded; he could see the disappointment in the shade of her eyes and the droop of her shoulders. She wanted more than a mild promise and he ached to give her that.

Yet he couldn't. If it weren't for the yearning that pulled them together, he wouldn't have been there at that moment. He longed to step closer and held himself back, searching for other words that would bring the shine back to her.

He found it in one word that he hadn't spoken in far too long.

"Sindre."

Her head tilted and he spoke it again, seeking to guide her to understanding.

"Sindre. My name. I can give you nothing more than that, but I have given it to no one else in many years."

He thought he might speak to her one day of the events on his own world, how everything there collapsed and all of his greatest efforts did nothing to help. Of how he'd found himself on Eltar and there healed – as much as he could for now – and Zordon suggested that he travel the universe to help others in need, to do what he could.

Today would also not be that day. He wanted to be certain he could speak of it without fear or grief first. At least not so much grief that he couldn't speak at all.

She repeated it, and the sound of his name on her lips sent a deep wash of warmth all through him. He had no words to describe it, only that he wished to hear it again and again.

That gave him another hint as to the type of their bond. But for even more reasons, he wished to keep that to himself.

"I'm Cassie," she said after a few heartbeats. "Cassie Chan."

He nodded; he was the last of his world and his clan and thus had no more name than what he'd already said to her. "It is my deepest pleasure to meet you, Cassie Chan, Pink Ranger of Earth. I hope the day comes soon wherein we can meet face to face."

He spoke nothing more nor less than the absolute truth. He dared not stay more, though, fearing what could happen if he did. He knew himself; he would take the chance to reveal himself to her, and to touch and be touched by her. There were those who could sense when a soulbond wove itself together. He dared not take the chance Divatox or Havoc had such a one.

Leaving without some form of proper farewell would likely cause his mother to rise from her grave to rebuke him, though. He bent his head toward Cassie.

"We shall meet again." He wanted to say so much more to her, but the longer he stayed in her presence, the more risk he ran, and he couldn't bear to risk too much. A moment's thought triggered his invisibility and he moved out of sight, choosing not to look back.

He wanted to, ever so much, especially as he found himself wondering what such lovely dark hair would look like kissed by silver moonlight. He knew that he could learn; she wouldn't know if he did. She still stared where he'd been, mouth open as if she bid farewell, and her eyes dark and lustrous and pain-filled.

 _No._ He wrenched himself around and made his way back to his ship. The few moments he'd spent here had been torturous enough and he wanted time to rest and check on his communications. He would need nourishment also.

And to stop thinking about her.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Next, we're skipping over the RescueZords to head right for Phantom Ranger being in risk of his life.


	9. Chapter 9

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 5,400|| **Chapter Count:** 9/16

* * *

Cassie couldn't get the note out of her mind as she headed to the rendezvous point. She couldn't imagine what Phantom – what Sindre – wanted to talk to her about now. It had been days since Divatox and Havoc took the Turbo MegaZord and since Phantom Ranger gave them the RescueZords to replace it. That whole time, Phantom – it still wasn't easy for her to think of him as Sindre – never mentioned their marks or that brief visit. All business and all that pleasant warmth on her arm.

The warmth that wasn't there now, she thought, as she looked around, wondering where he might be. That wasn't right. Until their skin touched and the bond confirmed itself, they would always feel that warmth when they were near enough to one another.

 _Maybe he's just not here yet?_ That did make sense. He was probably scouting the area to make sure none of Havoc or Divatox's minions spied on them.

She caught a glimpse of black armor moving behind one of the nearby bushes and turned her steps that way. "Phantom Ranger?" She wanted to use his real name and started to say it when he stepped out in all of his black armored mysteriousness.

"You scared me for a second," she said, taking a few steps closer. "Are you all right?"

"Why, of course. And if that scared you, then this should terrify you!"

In little more than the space of a heartbeat, Phantom Ranger didn't stand in front of her, but General Havoc did, accompanied by several of his warriors. Cassie leaped back, intent on teleporting out of there, but before she could activate her communicator, vines slithered towards her, winding around her arms and legs so tightly that no move she made could free her from their grip.

"Let me go!" Cassie demanded, still struggling with all of her might. "What do you think you're doing?" They couldn't have found out about the counter. She'd only whispered about it to Ashley, and she hadn't mentioned that one quiet visit where Phantom gave her his name at all. Sometimes she'd even wondered if that happened at all.

But now they wanted her for _something_.

General Havoc stared at her, and while she couldn't see his face very well, she got the very strong sensation that he smirked at her.

"Did you think that there wasn't any way we wouldn't know about your precious counter, Pink Ranger?" Havoc seized her arm and twisted it to reveal the faintly glowing green zeroes. "Or that yours binds you to Phantom Ranger?"

Cassie yanked harder at the bonds. "I'm not going to help you hurt him!" She'd heard stories about things that people like Divatox or Havoc could do to brainwash people. No matter what, she wouldn't let that happen to her.

Havoc chuckled. "You're going to make very good bait, my dear. Let's go."

Cassie wasn't used to teleporting any way other than how the Rangers did it. Doing so carried by Havoc's power twisted her stomach and sent her head spinning to the point she almost didn't notice they were somewhere else moments later, a place she'd never seen before, which included people such as Rygog, Elgar, too many Piranatrons, Havoc and his people, and worst of all, Divatox herself.

"Chain her up over there," Divatox drawled, waving one hand to a wall. "Now, you're sure this is going to work, dear brother?"

Havoc watched as his minions dragged Cassie to a rocky wall and fastened manacles on her. "You have my assurance, dear sister."

None of that reassured Cassie at all.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Next up, Phantom's reaction to this.


	10. Chapter 10

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 6,000|| **Chapter Count:** 10/16

* * *

 _How?_ He kept the question hidden deep within himself, despite all the urges to scream it at the top of his lungs. He'd learned the long and hard way how to keep himself under silence when he needed to and now wasn't the time to let his guard down.

Even if they weren't specifically trying to lure him in, he would know where Cassie was. Her life glowed in the back of his mind, bright as a star, warmer when he drew near to her.

Finding her here wasn't like when they encountered one another on Earth, though. Every dimension maintained different rules. So as he drew near to her stone form, he did not panic at the realization that the warmth of their bond did nothing. Havoc's enchantment would suffice to muffle that, he knew, especially combined with the Cirrus dimension's native rules.

Removing the Power Ruby would weaken him, but he could return it in time. First to recover Cassie. Then to leave Earth. It was far too dangerous to remain here when their enemies would put her into this kind of danger. She would still have to fight; she was still a Power Ranger, but he wouldn't let her be targeted because of him.

And he really did need to go talk to Zordon regardless.

All of that passed through his mind in a heartbeat as he passed the Ruby over Cassie's form. He could see life and color returning and started to move his hand back, relief consuming him in the moments before Cassie smiled viciously in a way she never had before and seized onto his arm.

"Got you!" General Havoc declared, and Phantom had not even a breath to react before the general seized the Power Ruby and pulled it away. Even that loss of contact, so brief as it was, kept him confused for the vital few moments it took for Havoc's minions to appear and seize him.

When his head cleared again, he saw they were somewhere else; another part of the Cirrus dimension. He cared little for Divatox or Havoc now. Only the thought of where Cassie might be mattered, until he caught sight of her a short distance away, held by massive chains against a rock outcropping.

"Cassie!" He struggled to get to her, but just managing to put one foot in front of another was far more than he could manage right now.

Divatox rattled on about what kind of an amazing day she was having. All Phantom cared about was either getting his Ruby back or getting Cassie out of there. He would prefer both, but Divatox and Havoc kept the gem out of his reach. All that he could manage involved realizing that Divatox held Cassie's communicator in reach and he struck, knocking it out of the pirate queen's hands and over to the Pink Ranger.

Even chained up, she managed to catch it, and he smiled in pride at that. "Get out of here!" Her safety outranked his by far. Few would miss him if he fell. The world would miss her if she didn't escape.

"I'll be back for you!" Cassie declared as Piranatrons and Havoc's goons closed in. She had to work it with one hand, but in a wash of pink energy, she disappeared, and Phantom let himself relax. She was safe now. Whatever else they'd had in mind, they couldn't do it to her.

Divatox whirled on him. "You think that's going to do anything? I'm going to finish them all in the end." She smiled. "Starting with you. Take him away!"

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** One day I'm going to rewrite all of the Phantom Ranger episodes. Not just with a more intense version of Cassie/Phantom, but rewatching those episodes made me want to make them better. Why would the Turbo MegaZord have information on the Phantom Ruby? And that's just the beginning.


	11. Chapter 11

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 6,600|| **Chapter Count:** 11/16

* * *

Cassie didn't like hating other people. She'd always tried to not even hate Divatox or her henchmen, mostly because it just never seemed worth her time. She could always find something better to do. Wanting to stop Divatox from whatever her latest hairbrained scheme was didn't involve hating her, just mostly being frustrated by whatever the pirate queen attempted to pull off.

But right now, as she helped search for Sindre – for Phantom Ranger – she did hate General Havoc deeply. He'd used her and the link between her and Sindre to capture both of them and now Sindre hovered on the verge of death.

She didn't have to see him to know that. She could tell clearly enough by the way her stomach churned and her throat closed up and tears pricked at her eyes.

 _He can't die. I won't let it happen._ That meant finding the Power Ruby and bringing it back, of course. That was fine with her, since it also meant that Havoc and Divatox weren't going to have it anymore.

Her arm warmed and her head came up at the feeling. "This way!" She declared, heading down the way they'd gone even faster. T.J. hurried along behind her, perhaps as worried about Phantom as she was.

So far, no one had asked questions, though they hadn't needed to. She'd never made a big secret that her timer ran out the day Sindre arrived on Earth. She'd never _said_ he was her soulmate, but right now, she wouldn't have cared if Bulk and Skull knew, as long as Sindre was all right.

And there he slumped against the wall. His chest rose and fell only a little, and her stomach churned even more at the sight.

She dropped to her knees next to him, pressing her fingers absently against the opening in his chest where the Ruby normally rested. "Sindre?"

In the short time she'd known his name, she'd never spoken it out loud except when she was alone, savoring the taste of it on her tongue. She knew T.J. wouldn't say anything, but she could feel the weight of his gaze behind her.

There wasn't any movement from the armored warrior, though, and it was only with T.J.'s help that the two of them scooped him up and teleported back to the Power Chamber. Every passing moment stoked the fires of rage deeper within her, to the point that if Havoc had appeared before her begging for peace and forgiveness, she would punch his lights out.

She wanted to do more, but she didn't know what would really be suitable for all that he'd done.

The Power Chamber would be able to keep Sindre alive for now, but the next step remained clear: find the Power Ruby and return it to him.

While the others kept scanning, she stayed by him, hand in hers, and stared at him, wondering if he could hear her. The minor motions he made didn't always assure her that he could. But she stayed there, just in case.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I should have known that note wasn't from you." She should have. It wasn't his style and it led to this. "We'll save you. I promise."

The bond between them could be almost anything, but right then, Cassie knew she loved Sindre, that if she never saw him again her life would be that much emptier, and she would never forgive Divatox or Havoc if stealing his Ruby led to him dying. They carried the blame for this as well, and she wanted so much for Sindre to live.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Angst? Angst.


	12. Chapter 12

**Word count:** chapter: 600||story: 7,200|| **Chapter Count:** 12/16

* * *

 _No, Cassie. It's not your fault._

He wanted to tell her that. He wanted to assure her that he wasn't dead – at least not yet – and it might take hours until his life force ran out enough so he _did_ die. Until then, he would get weaker and weaker.

But already he couldn't bring himself to say anything, no matter how hard he tried. Not even her name, the simplest and sweetest word he could have uttered, would form.

He knew where he was. Even without being able to talk, he remained aware of what happened around him. He rested in the Power Chamber, under the watchful gaze of the Rangers and their mentor.

He'd never met Dimitria before. Zordon spoke of her during their infrequent conversations and he'd known she was here, but there hadn't been a moment he could make contact. He somewhat wished that he could now, to pass on Zordon's good wishes and warnings concerning events on Eltar. He would have to return there for that reason as well. Just trying to keep Cassie a marginal bit safer wasn't enough.

Before he left, he promised himself. He would tell Dimitria and he would tell Cassie that he would come back, just as he'd promised that they would have time together one day. He wanted her to know that he didn't leave because of her. At least not _just_ because of her and this whole mess with Havoc and Divatox.

Sindre didn't know how much time passed, only that his life force dipped lower and lower, until a moment came when a strange tingle ran all through him.

His Ruby! Once again it resided in the hands of good! That steadied his decline, keeping him from worsening, for the brief time until the Rangers returned.

Energy, strength, and life flowed through him once again as soon as Cassie settled the gem into its proper position. He carefully sat up and looked at the Rangers, trying to avoid meeting Cassie's eyes and not doing a very good job of it.

"Thank you, Rangers," he said at last, rising to his feet once enough strength returned. "I will be forever grateful to you."

"It was our pleasure," the Green Ranger said. He could see their attention flicking between himself and Cassie and wondered how much she'd told them.

She moved forward as he started to step away. "You're leaving already?" He heard the pain in her voice and would have gladly stayed to ease it. Instead, he reluctantly turned toward her.

"As I promised, when this world is safe, I will return. But I must go back to Eltar for now." He balanced the words in his mind, and made a choice. "I will send you a message when I am ready to return." Doing so before then wouldn't be wise. Havoc could and probably would broadcast the news of their connection throughout all of Dark Spectre's Empire and unless he were out there to draw attention away from Cassie, her life would be at more risk than before.

Cassie stepped closer again, one hand reaching out to him. "Sindre..."

Hearing his name on her lips twisted deeper into him. He couldn't stay much longer. It hurt already.

"Here," he murmured, calling on the Power Ruby's energy. A wisp of scarlet energy formed, solidifying into a slim silver bracelet set with two gems, one bright pink and the other deep black. "Wear this, to remember me."

He set it into her hand and her fingers closed on it. "Come back soon," she whispered, and he nodded. He would indeed.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Next up, their encounter during PriS.


	13. Chapter 13

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 7,800|| **Chapter Count:** 13/16

* * *

Cassie turned around and started to walk with the others, the weight on her heart easing with Sindre's last few words. He'd taken the time to send _her_ a message, something between the two of them, not just something for all of the team. It was good to know that he wasn't dying – at least not seriously so – and that they would see each other again.

 _I wish we could've had more time, though._ She ran one finger absently over her bracelet; she hadn't taken it off for more than the length of time needed to take a shower since the day that he'd given it to her. Some people, those who didn't know about her being a Ranger, wondered, but all she told them about it was that it was a gift from her soulmate, who couldn't stay with her right now.

It wasn't a lie. Cassie just didn't think most people were ready for the truth about her soulmate being from another planet just yet.

Before she took more than half a dozen steps, however, she heard more beeping, and looked back over her shoulder. The device flashed once more, and she looked back at Andros. "How many messages can one of those things have?"

"It depends on how much memory." Andros looked over her shoulder, then back to her. "I'd take it if I were you."

Cassie didn't waste any time. This one seemed to be on some sort of delay, just quietly beeping until she picked it up, then going quiet and dormant.

It stayed that way until they reached the MegaShip, and she was in her own quarters. DECA scanned the device – no reason not to be too careful, not with both Astronema and Divatox in the general area – but reported nothing out of the ordinary.

She stared at it for a few moments, heart thumping, before she carefully set the message cylinder down on the table and waited to see what would happen.

It only took a few moments before the beeping ceased and another small hologram of Phantom Ranger appeared before her.

"Cassie, I don't have much time. I have to leave shortly. But I want you to know that I miss you and I think about you when I can. Someday soon, we will have more time together. We will _be_ together, stars willing."

He broke off to draw in an unsteady breath, then continued. "I can't promise when I can contact you again but I hope that it's soon. Good-bye for now."

The hologram tilted and Cassie knew that as much as he could, he looked into her eyes. She stared back, trembling, her stomach twisting, until the image faded away and there were no more beeps, no signs at all of any further messages. She stared at the device for another heartbeat or so, then put it away. It didn't seem any more right to just throw it away than it would have been to discard a letter from him.

 _I'd better see you soon. I miss you, too._

Almost from the first moment they'd been on the way into space, she'd wondered if she would meet him again. Anywhere they went, she watched for signs of Astronema's Quantrons, Zordon, or Sindre, more or less in that order. Even when they'd first found the Astro MegaShip, she'd held a hope they would find him on board.

Now this. Not much, but more than she'd had before. She promised herself all over again that this wouldn't be the last time.

They would find each other again, and it would be forever.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Wow, only three chapters to go. And it feels like I started just yesterday.


	14. Chapter 14

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 8,400|| **Chapter Count:** 14/16

* * *

Repairs to the armor would take time. Repairs to his body, even longer. With Eltar having fallen, he didn't have access to the same equipment that he had before. So he made do. He bargained with people that could be trusted, if only to keep their word when paid enough. He took what he needed to from the edges of Dark Spectre's empire and hoped it wasn't noticed or was written off as some lackey's lack of care.

And he hoped at all times that it would be enough to see him through to the end of this war.

He didn't know how it would end or even if it would. But if it did end, if Dark Spectre could be defeated and Zordon rescued, _then_ he would be able to go to Cassie and show her his true face and they could touch one another, that all important touch that would cause their respective timers to at last fade away and be replaced by whatever marks they would share, binding them together for a lifetime.

Or more; beliefs differed on if soulmates remained soulmates from one incarnation to another, or even if said incarnations happened. But this one life was all that he asked for, or even dared to dream that they might have together.

He hadn't known about what happened on Earth, with Divatox destroying the Power Chamber, until it was far too late to do anything about it. He'd been on Eltar, attempting to fight off Dark Spectre's forces with the Rangers there, and just like on his own world, they'd failed.

He tried very hard not to think about it too much. But at least now he knew that Cassie was safe and still looked forward to meeting him again. He hadn't been able to see her unmorphed, but he could feel it in the touch of her fingers on his arm, and hear it in the worry in her voice.

Now that the Rangers had the Delta MegaZord, getting in touch with them would be much easier. Or it could be, if he wanted it to be. Concealing any messages would take effort. The danger of the bond between them hadn't changed, and he didn't doubt if Dark Spectre knew about it, then he would order Astronema to take advantage of it.

Which was why he knew that he wouldn't send any messages, at least not any private ones. They had to keep it quiet. No matter how much they both truly wanted otherwise.

He'd not had very long to discuss this with Zordon before the battles reached a point where that wasn't possible. Always far too much else to do, and discussing one's soulmate came lower on the list of important matters than defending a world from the most evil monarch ever known.

A tiny, vaguely amused part of him wondered if Dark Spectre had ever had a soulmate of his own and who it might be. He couldn't help but pity whoever the unfortunate was, if they existed. Though it wasn't impossible that such a person would praise and adore Dark Spectre. Love and companionship weren't restricted to those on the side of good, nor were soulmates romantic or intimate bonds only. Some tales were told about enemies who were soulmates, thirsting to combat one another at every opportunity.

At least the universe chose well for him. He didn't care if their fated bond was romantic or not – though it was. He looked forward to the end even more now, and for the day when he could touch Cassie's hands with his own.

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Two more to go.


	15. Chapter 15

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 9,000|| **Chapter Count:** 15/16

* * *

They would be back on Earth shortly. Cassie hadn't watched the stars go by outside all that much as they made their way from KO-35. Most of her thoughts kept coming back to not only everything that happened over the last few days, but the chance of what could happen in the future.

Of a promise that would be, should be, _needed to be_ kept in the very near future.

 _He said when the war was over. Well, it's over._ It had been proven to Earth, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they weren't the only intelligent people out there. A lot of people were still trying to get used to this idea, but even more people rejoiced.

All of that meant that having a soulmate, or even a friend, who came from another world wasn't going to be as much of a hassle as it would have been. Cassie wasn't sure what would happen in the future, but she wanted to believe that everything would tend toward the better.

"Cassie," DECA interrupted her thoughts. "You have a call incoming."

She sat up at once, a light sheen of sweat suddenly beading up. "Who's it from?"

There was a single moment of silence before the reply. "Sindre."

For a few heart-stopping moments, Cassie forgot what it was to breathe. He'd come. Or at least he wanted to talk to her. She swallowed, tried to speak, found nothing on her lips, and tried again. "All right. Call accepted."

A few moments later, a voice she'd forced herself not to think about in the last few terrifying days of the war echoed through her room. "Hello, Cassie. Are you all right?"

It took another few moments for her to dredge up the words to answer. "I'm fine. What about you?"

"Well enough." Did he hesitate? She thought he did. Not being able to see him made it so hard to tell. "When will you arrive on Earth?"

"I don't know for sure. But it won't be long." She swallowed again, thoughts skittering in ten thousand different directions. Finding the right one to form a question took time that she didn't know if she had. "What about you? Are you going to be able to come?"

He wouldn't, she scolded herself. Something would have come up, as it always did. Something would keep them apart. She didn't dare believe that he would find a way to come back to her. After all these months, worry and fret turned into wanting to stay distant, to not take a chance on ruining what they had. If they were never together, then she never had to worry about losing him.

Right?

"Yes. I can meet you in Angel Grove if you'd like."

Now she knew that _she_ hesitated, until Sindre spoke again, worried. "Cassie?"

"Oh. That's fine." She did want to see him, she really did. But now reality stared her in the face and she stared at her arm and the perfect zeroes as if she'd never seen them before. "Where would you like to meet there?"

"I'll find you." His promise came warm and strong and warming her as it had the first time that she'd heard it. "I'll always find you, Cassie."

A small smile touched her lips. "I know you will." As she would always find him. The hard part would be sticking together after they found one another. She raised her head a little more, staring reality in the face. "I can't wait to see you."

"Likewise. I've missed you."

Another pause, one that she broke. "Yeah. Missed you too."

 **To Be Continued**

 **Notes:** Next chapter, it ends and it begins.


	16. Chapter 16

**Word Count:** chapter: 600||story: 9,600|| **Chapter Count:** 16/16

* * *

 _What should I do?_ He wanted to do a thousand different things; that was the problem. He knew what he _needed_ to do, first and foremost. He needed to talk to her. Talk with her. See if she wanted to touch, to trigger the bond.

After all this time, he wouldn't have blamed her if she'd chosen to deny it. He'd kept away from her, hiding behind the need to protect her.

Frankly, he wouldn't blame her if she wanted to touch him with a punch to the face. He'd earned that and more.

At least now that was over. Evil would likely crop up again at some point – Zordon's sacrifice, so far as they could tell, only dealt with the United Alliance of Evil. There were plenty of others in distant galaxies who still survived. But they could be dealt with by others. Their task had finally ended. He could reveal everything about himself to her now.

He wanted to. He hoped that he _would_. He hoped that she would reveal her secrets to him in exchange.

"Sindre?"

He turned. There she stood, her hair blowing softly in a warm wind, wearing the uniform of an Astro Ranger. His heart stopped for a few seconds. He drew a breath and bent his head.

"Cassie. It's been too long." Stupid words that didn't say a tenth of what he wanted or how he felt. He thought she knew that with the way she kept staring at him.

He wasn't going to let it stay like this, however. He raised his head to meet her eyes. "Do you want to see me without the armor?" It would be her choice, her decision. She'd long ago earned that.

Now she crossed her arms over her chest. "Is there any reason I shouldn't?"

Slowly he shook his head. "No. Not anymore." He hoped he could tell her more in the future. But now everything hovered on the brink of a beginning.

She kept staring at him, then finally nodded. "I would."

He closed his eyes and rested his fingers against the Power Ruby. Removing it wouldn't demorph him, not unless he wanted that to happen. But this time, he told it to just revert him to a state he'd been in only a handful of times over the last several years.

Feeling the armor fall away, feeling warm sunlight and the wind's kiss on his skin, sent a shiver all through him almost as great as what Cassie caused just by being near him. He opened his eyes, looking at Cassie, and wondered why her cheeks were so red.

"This is who I am," he said, spreading his hands. On his arm there rested the counter, four perfect zeros in shimmering green. A look at her revealed that she pulled up her sleeve to show her own counter at the same. His heart beat even faster.

"And this is who I am," she said. Silence reigned unbroken just for a few heartbeats before he spoke, still trying to find the right words.

"If you don't want to..."

Cassie lunged forward and wrapped her fingers around his wrist, marked side to marked side. "I didn't live through the last few months to _not_ do this," she snapped. "I worried that you'd back out or change your mind. But I won't change mine and I want to try this forever, with you."

Sindre swallowed whatever words tried to rise to his lips, caught up in her eyes, before he nodded. "So do I."

Before their eyes, the marks flared and matched and the future began.

 **The End**

 **Notes:** Well, that's it. I may write a more detailed sequel: this was far more fun than I thought it would be. And I'm not averse to writing one for some of my other 'ships. The time may come. But not now.


End file.
